In 1851, the Tong Sung Restaurant and Boarding House opened its doors in Portland. By 1880 to 1910, Portland's Chinatown was the largest in the United States after San Francisco's. Originally located between Taylor and Pine Streets and from Third Avenue to the Willamette River, Chinatown moved north in the 1940's into an area then known as Japantown or Nihonmachi, occupying businesses and buildings vacated when their Japanese owners were interned during World War II. Chinatown now encompasses NW Third Avenue to the east, W. Burnside Street to the south, NW Fifth Avenue to the west, and NW Glisan Street to the north. Chinese restaurants, grocery stores, and gift and import shops are located along tree-lined streets.Portland Classical Chinese Garden (Summer 2000), NW Third & Everett. This 40,000-square-foot (one full city block) walled garden is the largest classical Suzhou-style (Ming Dynasty) garden outside of China. A traditional pair of carved stone Fu Dogs (WMFXR) stand at the entrance to the outside courtyard -- one female and one male, representing the yin and yang elements, respectively.
More than 60 artisans traveled from Suzhou, China (Portland's sister city) to create Portland's Classic Chinese Garden, Lan Su Yuan, Garden of the Awakening Orchids, practicing craftsmanship perfected centuries ago. The garden is an urban oasis with its elegant design of serpentine walkways, open pavilions, sweeping tiled roofs, stone-inlaid courtyards, concrete filigree open windows, ponds, bridges, and landscaping that conjures up images from Chinese scroll paintings.
The garden has installed elegant furniture of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) style within the Scholar's Study. Furniture of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) was installed within the Lounge House.
The garden is ever changing -- never twice the same. Enjoy cups of Chinese tea and delicacies in the gracious, two-story tea house. Gift shop. Public restrooms. Public Tours are held daily at noon and 1 p.m. Reservations are not required. Garden information: 503.228.8131.
Pallay Building; Also known as The Great Era Oriental Imports (WMFX9), 239 NW Third Avenue (1926). The Great Era offers Chinese art, porcelain, antiques, screens, embroidery and other items.
House of Louie Restaurant, 331 NW Davis Street. The House of Louie building was built in 1922. Green tiles and dragon pillars adorn its exterior. Turn east onto Davis Street and walk alongside the building. Representing good luck, a dragon and phoenix frieze decorates the exterior wall.
Chinatown Gates (1986) (WMFX8), NW Fourth Avenue & Burnside. Look at both sides of the awesome, brightly painted three-tiered gateway to appreciate its ornate design, including two huge flanking bronze Chinese lions (WMFXM) -- female and male, representing the yin and yang elements, respectively. Beneath one of its legs, the gateway conceals a buried time capsule (WMFXG). The legend on the north side of the Chinatown Gate reads: "Four Oceans (Seas), One Family." It means that no matter how far and wide Chinese are scattered around the world, they are all related. Chinatown is "family."